Katrina Nokleby

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Every June, the Government of the Northwest Territories, together with the Northwest Territories and Nunavut Chamber of Mines and the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, mark Mining Week in our territory. This year will be no exception. From June 21st to the 27th, we will once again recognize this industry that is a foundation of our economy.

What will be different this year is that, with COVID-19 restrictions in place, Mining Week will take place entirely online. A robust calendar of social media content is being planned...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following six documents: "Grants and Contributions Results Reports 2018-2019"; "Annual Report 2019-2020 of the Northwest Territories Office of the Regulator of Oil and Gas"; "Follow-Up Letter for Oral Question 52-19(2), Grants and Contributions to Commercial Fishers"; "Follow-Up Letter for Oral Question 75-19(2), Impact of Coronavirus on Northwest Territories Tourism"; "Follow-Up Letter for Oral Question 112-19(2), Northwest Territories Commercial Fishing Industry"; and "Follow-Up Letter for Oral Question 249-19(2), Small Business Grants." Thank you...

I don't believe that I am the first ITI Minister to admit that I can't predict the future. The one for-sure thing we can take from this court ruling is that, when it comes to petroleum projects in the Northwest Territories, a very clear distinction was made between benefit plans and agreements that might be signed between project proponents and Indigenous governments. Now, as far as our work on the Mineral Resources Act is concerned, I can tell you that, as we get back to the more regular business of government, these regulations will become a focal point for our government. This work will...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I am aware of this case. We are working to update our benefit plan guidelines that do exist under our oil and gas legislation. When it comes into force, the MRA will give us the ability, in law, to establish measures that will generate benefits for all Northerners.

Mr. Speaker, I must remind the Member that Indigenous governments and all Northerners are already benefitting from resource development. Every producing mine has an associated socioeconomic agreement in addition to independent IVAs that are negotiated with Indigenous governments. Since 1996, under our...

I am happy to provide the Member and this House with that assurance. Absolutely. It is part of our mandate, and I think it has been evidenced most recently in the rollout of our approach to COVID. I have said numerous times that we will need our resource sector to anchor our recovery. Mining and exploration are the biggest source of private sector jobs and income for our residents and, when they return to full operations, will once again be major buyers of products and services from Northwest Territories companies. We have worked with our mines and resource companies to ensure their safe and...

I am not sure that that work is delayed. Nevertheless, I can tell the Member that it is close to completion, and I am anticipating that we will be able to identify a target coming-into-force date fairly soon, possibly as early as the end of this month. There are two things in particular that have taken some time. The Office of the Regulator of Oil and Gas Operations, or OROGO, wanted the opportunity to develop two sets of guidelines and interpretation notes, which will help explain their application and administration of two of the amendments. These have now been drafted. More critically, our...

We had a plan, and then, as we went out for the tender, all of the proposals came back too high, so we are just actually tweaking the plan. We have gone back to Memorial University, who has provided us with the technical expertise behind the plant design, to say that this is our budget and what are the areas where we can minimize or downsize things so that we can fit our budget, but also to look at different uses for the by-products of the fish and not only selling the fish. We're now also exploring where we can use stuff for fertilizers and things like that. My understanding is that we are...

Sure. Basically, from a contracting perspective, when they wanted to go in with the new consortium to do the renovations to make it usable, that had to be one contract; but, in order to get to that stage so that the building was at a spot where they could start doing the renovations, we had to remove HBMA, the hazardous building materials. So that had to be in its own contract, because it had nothing to do with this new company that was coming in to do the renovations. So, basically, we had to present the building in a certain state, so that first contract is to get rid of that, all the HBMA...

If I waive the fees for only the Member's region, I will have the other Members coming to me to ask for the same thing. I already have another Member who is actively pursuing the waiving of fees, as well, so I can't show preference. I will take that away and have a conversation with the department. I did just want to clarify that the gatehouse at the Inuvik parks will be manned this weekend, and they will take cash.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have just recently been aware that not everybody in the territory likes to use the online system. It was just recently brought to my attention that, perhaps in Inuvik and around that region, people aren't using the system. I've raised this already with the department now, and we will look into how do we accommodate those that don't want to use the online system. I will say, no, your park will not be closed this weekend just because the online system may not be utilized properly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.